The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-04-02
CAN WOMEN RIVAL MEN3
An Assertion In the AM NATIVE by an Erni-
nent Physician.

i stand by the statement that women
could. by training and change of social 1
custom. rival men. / am ready TO adj /
NIT that a race of women could be /
trained by whom out the fac
ultv of invention in mechanical con- I
struction. about which there NAV be !
some reservation-all the labors of men |
could be performed. But | admit IA
fully that for such AN end TO be attained
certain modification would be necessary
which all persons might not enjoy nor
feel inclined TO patronize. 1t Is only
fair to point out, without bias, what
these notifications would introduce in
to the civilized human family. The
first necessary modification would have
relation to dress. A petticoated genera
ton could never do the full work OF
generation whose limbs were free of
petticoat membranes The practice
on the stage tells us that In long pet
ticoats women could neither climb,
race, drive engines. walk, ride, work at
the bench, nor work at the lecture
table, the school. or the laboratory,
with the facility of men as men are at
tired. Whatever, therefore. there is ot
elegance in the present form OF female
attire, that must be sacrificed TO the
necessities of competition with men IN
the work common 10 men, 1t may be
that there is not much TO be said
against this change. IL may be argued.
even by women. that the pulling along
of pounds weight of clothes which lie
on the ground and require. for COM
fort, page or waiting-maid TO carry
them. is a tax of the worst kind on
human endurance; to women plague.
to men a Joke. 1t may be that the
modern woman's absurd fashionable
dress, which turns her into semi
erect dromedary, Is not all that could
be desired; but for her TO play her part
rs the rival of man in work she must
change dress altogether and be left as
free of limb as men. If she is not TO be
so far emaneipated, then she bids fair
TO remain as she has been ali along the
course of time, a woman; a human be-
ing, by the common consent of man.
kind in relation TO dress. restrained by
dress; woman proud of her grand
robes, content to bear the weight oi
them. content to tolerate the incon
yenience of them. and content to suifel
herself TO be admired under all suct
unnecessary pains and penalties. ID
MANY women it would be a grea
sacrifice to give up these outward anc
visible signs of women's dignity anC
women's destiny, for dignity and desun.
in her case combine. The dress sh
wears under the regime OF woman, tn
mother of men and women, is the slgl
of the destiny which holds her from tn
active work of men, and which afford
her the opportunity for bedecklng heI
self. SO as TO fulfill her destiny with elt
pance and fascination. But at work i
creation to compete with men the How
ing and embarrassing dress must &C
the miiliner must seek new tradei th
books of fashion must be consigned t
the fashion of books; they must l
placed on the shelf and ingenuity of
new order must invent a new style
picturesque female clothing adapted
the new kind of life. If women are
spend their lives in occupations con
monly followed by men they and II
world must submit to another moditic
ton. They must compromise also
the matter of what is called person
beauty. DR.. Richardson, an Lon!
mans Magazine.